The denial came after Twitter was swamped with messages revealing one of the players who faced Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday is homosexual.

Thousands of football fans were speculating last night about who it could be.

Top stars were being name-checked worldwide as “possibles”, causing 33-year-old Cole to speak out.

Team-mate Luke Shaw also rebuffed rumours he was the gay player in question, writing: “It’s not me chill out guys!”

The 18-year-old Southampton defender later deleted the post, but yesterday Cole’s cheeky message, reading: “Come on people, sorry to disappoint u but I’m strictly #chicks only,” was still there.

His plea to supporters was sparked by claims a mystery gay Premier League superstar will reveal his sexuality in an interview to be published tomorrow.

But last night Chelsea ace Cole was the target of a string of jokes by cheeky fans, questioning what kind of straight fella cheats on sexy pop star Cheryl Cole, 30.

TRAGIC: Justin Fashanu was the only openly gay footballer - he killed himself in 1998 [GETTY]

One, writing under the name Jordaan Broown, tweeted: “Got to be Ashley Cole who’s gay. I mean who cheats on Cheryl Cole?” Many fans welcomed the idea of a top player revealing his sexuality following anti-gay chants blighting the sport in recent years.

Gay former Norwich striker Justin Fashanu took his own life in 1998 after suffering years of homophobic abuse. Since then no footballer has admitted to being gay while playing in the Premier League.

Last night one tweet backing the Three Lions star coming out of the closet read: “1st openly gay footballer to play for England comes out this Sunday. I wish whoever it is well and hope he’s respected for his decision.”

It comes a month after England women’s football skipper Casey Stoney revealed she is a lesbian. The Arsenal defender, 31, became the country’s most high-profile gay footballer after her announcement.

She thanked gay diver Tom Daley, 19, for giving her the courage to come out.

Casey said: “I was living a lie. It’s really important to speak out as a gay player because there are so many people struggling who are gay. You hear about people taking their lives because they are homosexual. That should never happen.”